Olivier Award winner Janie Dee will set out to investigate the mysterious deaths of Marilyn Monroe, John F Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald in the world premiere of Speculations this autumn. The gripping new political thriller will be directed by Sir Trevor Nunn
Marylebone Theatre have announced the world premiere of Speculations, a new political thriller by Torben Betts (Murder in the Dark). Set in New York in 1965, the play follows celebrated American journalist Dorothy Kilgallen as she chases the biggest story of her career and tries to uncover the truth about three of the most infamous deaths of the 20th century.
Directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, the production will star Olivier Award winner Janie Dee (Comic Potential, Carousel), fresh off of her West End turn in The Truth.
On the news of the announcement, playwright Torben Betts said:
‘I’ve never believed that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of JFK, and I’ve always found the circumstances surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s death deeply suspicious. But since discovering Dorothy Kilgallen and how her investigation began to uncover possible connections between these seemingly separate deaths, I’ve become convinced that hers is a story that needs to be told, and I’d like to do my small part as a playwright to give a voice back to a courageous woman I believe was silenced.’
About Speculation
This world premiere play follows journalist Dorothy Kilgallen, who, unconvinced about the narratives around the deaths of Marilyn Monroe, President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, begins to dig deeper. Following a trail from Hollywood to the White House, Kilgallen begins to see connections others have missed but when threats reach inside her own home, she must decide how far she’s prepared to go to tell the story she’s uncovered.
Director Trevor Nunn also shared that he’s long been intrigued throughout his career by the contradictions surrounding the Kennedy assassination and Monroe’s death, and welcomed the chance to investigate those events through Torben Betts’s new play
Speculation will premiere at the Marylebone Theatre on 30 October 2026 and run until 3 January 2027.
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